Weight Loss Ticker

Friday, April 30, 2010

Day 22 - Anyone have thoughts on calorie counting???

Another decent day with food, very similar to the past few days. My back is definitely getting better, but is still sore and I don't want another set back, so I'm going to give it a few more days.

I've been toying with the idea of tracking calories. Seems like a bit of a daunting task to count every calorie I consume, but I've been told that it's been very helpful to others and that it's not that difficult once you get used to it. Does anyone else have any thoughts or advice on calorie counting?

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Strawberry yogurt
- Bowl of cereal
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Vegetable beef soup
- Soda crackers
- Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Coffee



Supper:
- Ceasar salad
- Spagetti with meat sauce
- Red wine
- Strawberries with cool whip



Evening Snack:
- Scotch



Workout:
- None (still resting my back)

Day 21 - Mini victory today

So, my food was pretty good today. Similar to yesterday in that I had some good meals, snacking was under control and my snacks were pretty good. Unfortunately my back still isn't 100% so I'm going to give it a few more days as I don't want to aggrivate it again and be set back even further. Hopefully by early next week I'll be able to get back on the treadmill.

I did have a little victory today that I was pretty thrilled about. When I put my pants on this morning, I tightened my belt and I thought it felt a little odd, so I took a look and sure enough, my belt was 1 notch tighter than usual. It was a little snug, but I spent the whole day with my belt a notch tigher than I've had it for a long time. I'm hoping that this will be the first notch of many to go through, but it feels pretty good to see that some changes are occurring. Funny how thrilled you can be by something so small :-)

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Bowl of fruit
- Fried egg on toast (X2)
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Yogurt fruit cup
- Ham and cheese sandwich
- Coffee



Afternoon snack:
- Fruit crisps (100 cals)



Supper:
- Chicken ceasar salad
- Milk



Evening Snack:
- Diet Coke
- Water
- 3 hard candies



Workout:
- None (still resting my back)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Day 20 - Eating OK and letting my back rest

My food was pretty good today. Decent meals and no faltering with the snacks. I didn't get a workout in today because I'm going to let my back rest for a few days. I think my walk yesterday set me back a few days, so I'm going to make sure it's good and healed before starting up again.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Bowl of fruit
- Cereal
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Mac and cheese
- Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Yogurt with fruit
- Coffee



Supper:
- Chicken
- Rice
- Corn
- Diet coke



Evening Snack:
- Diet coke
- A single hard candy



Workout:
- None (resting my back)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Day 19 - Darn those portion sizes and painful workouts

Eating was pretty good today. My meals were good, my afternoon snack was healthy and I didn't munch too much this evening. I guess the only negative in the food department was my portion size at dinner. I was really hungry and went back for a second plate of pasta. I think I should have just walked away and given myself some time to determine whether or not I really wanted more food. Oh well, perhaps next time :-)

On the positive side of things, my back was feeling much better today. So good in fact, I got a 1.5 mile walk in on the treadmill. Unfortunately, about an hour after my walk, my back was killing me again. I guess I should have waited another day or two to start working out again. Hopefully it feels OK in the morning and my walk hasn't aggrivated it too much.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Bowl of fruit
- Cereal
- Orange juice
- Coffee



Lunch:
- Crispy grilled cheese sandwich (X2)
- Coffee
- Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Apple
- Water



Supper:
- Penna with meat sauce (2 plates)
- Garlic bread
- Milk



Evening Snack:
- Green tea
- 1 hard candy



Workout:
- Walk (1.5 miles)

Day 18 - Eating pretty well, but still healing

My eating went pretty well today. I was able to eat some pretty good meals and keep the portions under control... even had a healthy snack this afternoon. Also, after waking up with terrible back pain, my lower back seemed to loosen up and wasn't too bad throughout the day. Hopefully within another day or two I'll be able to get back on a workout schedule.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- 1/2 grapefruit
- Cereal
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Fried egg on toast (X2)
- Coffee



Afternoon snack:
- Apple



Supper:
- Rotisserie chicken
- Ceasar salad
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Milk



Evening Snack:
- 4 hard candies
- Diet coke



Workout:
- None

Monday, April 26, 2010

Week 3 weigh in

I knew I didn't have a great week. I'm down 0.2 pounds to 303.8... I guess it's a positive that I didn't gain any weight :-) I was hoping to really turn things on this week, but with my back killing me, I don't think much exercise is going to happen over the next few days. Guess I'll have to keep an extra close eye on what I eat.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Day 17 - Still healing

Still out of commission for the most part today with a sore lower back. I've got a weigh in coming tomorrow and I'm not too optimistic about it given the way this week has gone. Today's food wasn't bad, but I don't feel very good given that I spent most the day on the couch resting.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Blueberry pancakes (light syrup)
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Clam chowder
- Soda crackers
- Diet Coke
- A single girl guide cookie



Afternoon snack:
- 2 hard candies



Supper:
- Bowl of chili
- Ham and cheese sandwich
- Coffee



Evening Snack:
- 5 hard candies
- Diet Coke
- Green tea



Workout:
- none

Day 16 - Owwwww and oops

I woke up this morning with a sore lower back and it got progressively worse through the day. By noon I was having a rough time walking around the house. So, needless to say, I didn't get a workout in today as I spent most the afternoon and evening on the couch sitting on top of a heating pad. Food wasn't great today either. I tried to keep my portion sizes reasonable, but my wife brough home some pizza for dinner (mmmm, but doh). I also faltered a little by having an ice cream snack tonight. All in all, not a great day.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Whole wheat begal with lite cream cheese
- Cereal with blueberries
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Hamburger
- Hot dog (X2)
- Beer



Afternoon snack:
- 2 hard candies



Supper:
- All meat pizza (2 slices)
- Cheese bread sticks
- Beer



Evening Snack:
- 5 hard candies
- Diet Coke
- Drumstick ice cream treat (310 cals)



Workout:
- none

Friday, April 23, 2010

Day 15 - Eating just OK... and no workout

Eating was just OK today. My portions were probably a little bigger than they should have been. And I didn't get a workout in. I was up late last night watching a triple OT game, so I've felt exhausted today and the last think I wanted to do tonight was hop on the treadmill. Hopefully I can catch up on some rest tonight and feel better tomorrow.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Whole wheat begal with lite cream cheese
- Cereal with blueberries
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- English muffin with pepperoni and cheese
- Pepperoni pita pizza (X2)
- Chocolate Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Cheese pita pizza
- Diet Coke



Supper:
- Hamburger helper
- Garlic cheese bread
- Diet coke



Evening Snack:
- 5 hard candies
- Diet Coke



Workout:
- none

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Day 14 - Not too shabby

Had a pretty good day today. Ate reasonable meals, didn't snack too much and got in a leg workout tonight. All in all not too bad. I gotta try to get back on that treadmill though... cardio is so important, but I usually try to avoid it :-(

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Everything Begal with lite cream cheese
- Cereal with blueberries
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Pepperoni pita pizza (X2)
- Chocolate Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Yogurt with berries



Supper:
- Spagetti with meat sauce
- Chocolate milk



Evening Snack:
- 5 hard candies
- Jello pudding cup
- Diet Coke



Workout:
- leg workout (squats, lunges & calf raises)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Day 13 - Struggled today

I thought today would be a good day with my company gone, but I really struggled today. I was exhausted all day, my meal times were all off and my portion sizes were too big. I just didn't feel good today. On the positive side of things, I kept my snacking under control and I did get a little workout in (1 mile walk). Hopefully tomorrow will be better... fingers crossed.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Everything Begal with lite cream cheese
- Cream of wheat hot cereal
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Soda crackers
- Chocolate Milk



Afternoon snack:
- Red pepper risotto
- Craft dinner macaroni
- Chocolate Milk



Supper:
- 3 hot dogs
- Beer



Evening Snack:
- 3 hard candies
- Water



Workout:
- 1 mile walk

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Day 12 - Great visit... time to get back on track

I had a great visit with my sister and brother-in-law, however, it'll be nice to be able to get back on track tomorrow as they're leaving in the morning. I'm planning on doing a walk tomorrow as I didn't get any exercise again today. It's been a struggle and I know I haven't lost the amount of weight I would have liked, but I'm going to get right back on board.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Cheese Begal with lite cream cheese
- Breakfast Burrotto (cheese, bacon, sausage, egg, red pepper)
- 2 additional peices of bacon
- Hashbrowns
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch (ate out at restaurant):
- Fried shredded pork rolls
- Beef & Guinness Stew
- Mashed potatoes
- Broccoli
- Diet Coke



Supper:
- Piece of spicy chicken pizza
- 2 girl guide cookies
- Beer



Evening Snack:
- 5 hard candies
- Coffee



Workout:
- None

Day 11 - My family... <sigh/>

Oh, my family. I know they mean well... but it's no wonder we struggle with weight. My parents showed up tonight with a package of cookies and three bags of chips. That's just the way it's always been... we all get together and snack and relax. Oh well, I was able to limit my intake to just a single cookie tonight. Not bad considering all the options that were available. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit in a workout today. I'll get back on track come Wednesday, once all my company is gone.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Sesame Begal with lite cream cheese
- Blueberry pancakes
- 2 sausage links
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- 2 hamburgers
- Beer



Supper:
- Chicken breast
- Red pepper risotto
- Ceasar salad
- Dinner Roll (X2)
- Beer
- Diet Coke
- Chocolate chip cookie



Evening Snack:
- Diet Coke



Workout:
- None

Monday, April 19, 2010

Week 2 weigh in

Well, after a somewhat tough week, including a struggle of a weekend, I stepped on the scale this morning. I'm down to 304, which is a loss of 2.4 pounds. Not a great week, but at least I'm headed in the right direction, which is more than I can say about where I was headed 2 weeks ago. :-)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Day 10 - Eating OK and I got a little workout in

My meals were OK today and I also got a small chest/arms workout in. Unfortunately I did faulter a bit in the snacking department tonight. My wife and sister made some chocolate chip cookies today and I did eat 2 of them this evening. Not great, but much better than the 10 I would have eaten a month ago. Hopefully it doesn't impact tomorrow's weigh-in too much. Stay tuned :-)

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Everything Begal with lite cream cheese
- Swiss cheese omlet
- 4 jimmy dean sausages (1 or 2 more than I should have had... oops)
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X3)



Lunch:
- 2 grilled cheese sandwiches
- Chocolate milk



Afternoon snack:
- Coffee



Supper:
- BBQed Pork Tenderloin
- Rice
- Corn
- Cornbread
- Beer
- Milk



Evening Snack:
- Diet Coke
- 2 chocolate chip cookies



Workout:
- Small chest and arms workout (pushups & tricept dips)

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Day 9 - Slipping a bit... but not too much

No workout today and my food intake wasn't spectacular. I was however able to avoid the chips and chocolate that were being passed around tonight. So I guess the fact that I avoided the snacks is a mini-victory, even though my meals weren't great. I'm hoping to fit a workout in tomorrow... we'll see how it goes.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Sesame Begal with lite cream cheese
- Slice of toast with jam
- Scrammbled eggs
- Hashbrowns
- 2 slices of bacon
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Chicken and bean soup
- Whole wheat roll
- Slice of pizza
- Diet Coke



Supper:
- BBQed T-Bone Steak
- BBQed Potatoes
- Ceasar Salad
- Beer
- Wine



Evening Snack:
- Water
- Scotch



Workout:
- None

Day 8 - Family has arrived... this could get interesting

Had a pretty good day with food today. The meals weren't the best, but the portions were reasonable and my snacking was kept under control. Also, I got another 1.5 mile walk in today... this time with 6 full minutes of jogging... and I'm feeling great :-)

My sister and brother-in-law arrived tonight... along with a package of donuts (sigh). It's going to be tought to stay on track because I know I won't be eating a different meals then everyone else and I know the meals they will be eating will not be great. I'm just going to have to rely on limiting portions so I don't get too far off track while they're here. Also, sipping my water while they were snacking on chips tonight was rough... but I can deal with it since they're only here for a few days.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Bowl of cereal with blueberries
- Fruit bowl
- Orange juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Beef chili
- Whole wheat roll (X2)
- Milk
- Coffee



Supper:
- Beef taco
- Slice of chicken pizza



Evening Snack:
- Water



Workout:
- 1.5 mile walk/jog (6 minutes of jogging)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Day 7 - Still on track after a full week

Well, 7 days have come and gone and I'm still on track. Today was a pretty good day. I ate up a lot of leftovers in the fridge, but kept those portion sizes reasonable. I'd say a decent day eating-wise. I also got a little leg workout in this evening. All in all, a pretty good day.

My sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit tomorrow night. I'm really excited to see them, but I'm a bit concerned about how their visit will impact my plans. Nobody in my family is very health-conscious and when we get together we love to snack and play cards. Also, I'm not sure how I'm going to fit my workouts in when I have company in the house... guess I'll just have to figure it out as they're here for almost a week.

Here's how today broke down:


Breakfast:
- Bowl of cereal
- Fruit bowl
- Blueberry begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee



Lunch:
- 1/2 rack of BBQed back ribs
- Baked potatoe (non-loaded)
- Corn
- Cornbread
- Milk



Supper:
- Roast beef stew
- Diet Coke



Evening Snack:
- Green tea
- Water



Workout:
- Legs (squats, lunges and calf raises)

Day 6 - Some good news and some bad news

Well... today's eating wasn't quite what yesterday's was. I recently got a new BBQ, so I smoked some back ribs this afternoon. So my dinner wasn't exactly something out of a health magazine. On the positive side of things however, I only ate a half rack instead of a whole rack like I normally would have. I'm really trying to work on those portion sizes.

Some great news is that I got on the treadmill again tonight. I finished a 1.5 mile walk/jog. That's right... jog. I actually jogged for 3 minutes during my walk. I actually didn't feel too bad afterwards either. I think I could have gone longer, but I don't want to overdo it right out of the gate.

Here's how the day broke down:


Breakfast:
- Hot Cornmeal Cereal
- Fruit bowl
- Orange Juice
- Coffee (X2)



Pre-Lunch Snack:
- Small bowl of cereal (just too hungry to wait till lunch)



Lunch:
- Two fried eggs on toast
- Water



Afternoon Snack:
- Yugurt
- Banana



Supper:
- 1/2 rack of BBQed Pork Back Ribs
- Baked potatoe (loaded)
- Cornbread
- Corn
- Beer



Evening Snack:
- Water



Workout:
- 1.5 mile walk/jog

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Day 5 - Great eating day and finally got on the treadmill

Today was probably my best eating day since beginning my journey. I was able to get a good breakfast, lunch and dinner with a small afternoon snack and nothing to eat this evening. Sounds so simple... so why do I struggle so???

I was also on the treadmill tonight for the first time in a long (and I mean long) time. I did a brisk walk and was able to get in a full mile at 2 or 3 include. I know it's not much, but I gotta start somewhere :-)

Here's how the day broke down:


Breakfast:
- Cereal with blueberries
- Cheese begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee



Lunch:
- Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
- Soda crackers
- Milk



Afternoon Snack:
- Apple



Supper:
- Roast Beef
- Potatoes
- Gravy
- Corn
- Milk



Evening Snack:
- Water



Workout:
- Brisk 1 mile walk on the treadmill

Monday, April 12, 2010

Day 4 - Decent eating and first ab workout

Today was a pretty good day. I had 3 decent meals and minimal snacking. I also was able to fit in a small ab workout this evening. Baby steps :-)

Here's how the day broke down:


Breakfast:
- 2 packages of Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal (one Weight Control and one Regular)
- Everything begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee (X2)



Lunch:
- Healthy Choice Gourmet Steamer (320 cal)
- 2 Egg Rolls
- Milk



Afternoon Snack:
- crackers & cheese (small portion)



Supper:
- 2 Beef Tacos with cheese
- Spanish Rice
- Diet Coke



Evening Snack:
- Water
- Green Tea



Workout:
- Abs (crunches, leg lifts & bicycle twists)

Week 1 weigh in success

I know they say that when you start eating better you lose a lot of water weight in the beginning. Well, whether that's the case or not I'm still pretty pumped about what I saw on the scale this morning. The scale said 306.4. That's a loss of 7.2 pounds. I don't expect that I'll lose that much every week, but it's nice to see that my effort isn't all for nothing.

Well, I just couldn't wait till tonight's post to share the good news. Have a great day everyone.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Day 3 - Eating alright... but WOW, I'm out of shape

Eating went pretty good today, although I did eat a bit too much at dinner. I was really hungry at dinner time and I ate a few too many peices of garlic bread. I've really gotta watch those portion sizes.

The real story of today was... OMG I am out of shape. My legs are still killing me from a very brief leg workout yesterday. And I felt exhausted during some yard work that I did today. Even though I wasn't doing anything strenuous, I felt terrible. I guess that's what carrying around at extra 100 pounds will do for you. Well, let's just hope that all this effort leads to things being easier down the road.

Here's how the day broke down:

Breakfast:
- Bowl of cereal with blueberries
- Everything begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee (X2)


Lunch:
- Pork tenderloin
- Roasted root veggies
- Milk


Afternoon Snack:
- Apple
- Water


Supper:
- Orange Chicken
- Roasted Root Veggies
- Egg Roll (X2)
- Garlic bread (too much)
- Milk


Evening Snack:
- Diet Coke (X2)


Workout:
- no cardio or weight workout
- 2 hours of gardening


Stay tuned for tomorrow's first weekly weigh in. I know it hasn't been a week yet, but I figured Monday morning was a good time for the weekly weigh in, so tomorrow it is.

Day 2 - Feeling good, but fighting hunger pangs

In the past it would not be unusual for me to eat multiple large plates of pasta or an entire pizza for dinner. Part of my approach to losing weight is to reduce my portion sizes. With reduced portion sizes and eliminated evening snacking, I feel as though I'm starving. I know I'm getting a decent amount of calories through the day, but I think my body may be in shock given that it's used to having so much more. Oh well, I'll fight through the evening hunger pangs and look forward to a good breakfast in the morning.

Here's my food for the day. I was able to fit in a brief workout as well... but now my legs are killing me... this is going to take some getting used to :-)

Breakfast:
- Two fried eggs on an english muffin
- Maple begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee (X2)


Lunch:
- 3 hot dogs
- Diet Coke
- Coffee


Afternoon Snack:
- Yogurt


Supper:
- Pork tenderloin
- Roasted root veggies
- Rice
- 1 beer
- Milk


Evening Snack:
- Water


Workout:
- Legs (squats, lunges & calf raises)


All in all, a great day and I'm feeling good about my approach. Fingers crossed that it just gets easier as I hopefully settle into a routine.

Oh... and a side note... I was pumped to see some comments on my blog today for the first time. This blogging thing is pretty cool. I can definitely see why people find it helpful in their weight loss journeys.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Day 1 - Good on food, but no workout



I've attached my initial pictures. I know, I know... not pretty, which is why this whole blog started. Stay with me and hopefully the pictures in 6 months will be much friendlier.

Not a bad start to the blog diet program. Three decent meals and very little snacking. Didn't fit a workout in today as the kids got to bed late... maybe tomorrow :-)

Breakfast:
- Bowl of cereal with blueberries
- Cheese begal with lite cream cheese
- Orange Juice
- Coffee


Lunch:
- Pork chops
- Rice
- Corn
- Chocolate Milk


Afternoon Snack:
- Coffee


Supper:
- 1/2 a Sheppard's Pie (600 Cal)
- White Milk


Evening Snack:
- Green Tea
- 1 diet coke


Workout:
- None


I'm feeling lighter and healthier already :-)

Introduction - just 93.6 pounds to go

Hello to whoever may be reading this. Please don't be scared off by this long initial post. I feel that I need to introduce myself and provide a bit of background about what this blog is all about, so please read on.

My name is William Hanson and I'm a 31 year old man living in the Fredericton region of New Brunswick, Canada. I've gotten to the point in my life where I've decided that some changes are in order. My weight has gotten far too out of control and I need to begin getting fit again. I'm creating this blog with the hope that it will help keep me accountable with regards to what I eat and how much I exercise.

So here's my story. I've always been a big person and I come from a family of big people. My father's side of the family is large in structure and my mother's side is large in width. As long as I can remember, I've struggled with weight issues. Fortunately, as a kid I played a lot of sports, which I think kept things somewhat under control. Between hockey, baseball, golf, tennis and soccer I was able to stay reasonably fit even though I was still overweight.

In the mid-90s I began my university career with a heads down approach. I did exceptionally well in school and have since gotten a Bachelor and Masters degree. Unfortunately, by focusing solely on my education, sports took a back seat and the weight started piling on. My affinity to fast food and pizza, combined with my tendency to binge snack in the evenings (on chocolate and chips) definitely hasn't helped matters. Over the past 15 years I've lost and gained 30 or 40 pounds many times and I even lost 100 pounds once, however, it always comes back, typically with additional weight. I'm currently tipping the scale at 313.6 pounds.

One of the many reasons I've decided to do this is that I have a new baby boy of 4 weeks old and a little girl that just turned 2 years old and I need to be there for them. My daughter always wants to play and I'm finding that I just can't keep up with her at my current weight. A few weeks ago at her gymnastics class she asked me to jump on the trampoline with her like the other parents were doing with their kids. Of course I didn't feel that I could because I didn't want to break the trampoline, which broke my heart (for both of us). So this blog is the approach I've decided to take to attempt to do something about my weight issues.

When I lost 100 pounds, I did it with a friend. Having that support and motivation really helped me. So I'm hoping that by writing a blog and hopefully getting a few followers I'll be able to achieve that same sense of accountability that will keep me going.

So, my goal is to get to 220 pounds, which I feel is a reasonable weight for my structure and height and hopefully would be maintainable. My strategy is to eat better, cut out the binge snacking and start exercising more. Each day I'll post what I ate and what I did for exercise. I'm hoping to get 3 workouts a week in and eat 3 sensible meals each day with a reasonable snack in the afternoon. I'll also post a weekly weigh-in, probably from each Monday morning as well as a montly photo, probably from the first Monday of each month (I'll include my initial photos with my first daily post). Of course I'm open to hearing any tips from anyone out there, as I know I'm not the first person to struggle with weight issues. Please feel free to add your two cents to my approach and share your lessons learned from past experiences.

So here I go....

William Hanson